*Neuwertig – BARNEYS 5-Eyelet Dress Blucher: 43-43.5D

Many American manufacturer competed for lucrative government contracts for Service Specification shoes and boots and for entry into this demanding area of the trade, “Mil-Spec” footwear, then as today, products had to pass rigorous testing for durability, resistance to petroleum products, anti-sparking properties (in high fire-risk environments, for instance, on flight decks or motor pools) and anti-skid properties of its Vulcan heels (for instance, aboard ship), not to mention smart appearance and easy maintenance so important to military personnel.

While this shoe was not ordered by the military, it appears to be made to the same standards as “Mil-Spec” U.S. Navy deck shoes, certainly as indestructible a shoe as it is a handsome one.